Fran Gotcshik skiing Barbara Kubiak Barbara
Winter 2019
Welcome the New Year with a First Day Greenway Hike
Start the New Year right by getting Trailblazers and the Henrietta Hill & Gully Riders outdoors on January 1st. Join one of three Snowmobile clubs. If there is no snow, there will still be a 1st Day Events on the Greenway offered hike. If there is snow, hikers are still encouraged to attend by the Genesee Valley Greenway State to hike, ski or snowshoe. The clubs will offer hot dogs, Park (GVGSP). These FREE EVENTS, hamburgers and snacks afterwards. The Friends will scheduled for Avon, Cuba and Hinsdale, provide water, coffee and cocoa. will be great activities for the entire family, Cuba 1st Day Hike, 1 pm and leashed pets are allowed. In case of severe weather, a posting will be made on Start the New Year with an easy, yet invigorating winter Facebook advising the cancellation of any of these events. walk along the Greenway, heading west along Griffin Creek Pre-registration is required. Please see directions and Olean Creek, where an abundance of wildlife signs can below. typically be seen. Avon 1st Day Hike/Ride, 11 am Meet at Bull Street in Cuba (42.216592, -78.283329) for a 2.5 mile round trip hike on an easy trail. If there is snow, Fellow snowmobilers! Ring in the New Year with your bring snow shoes or skis. There are no bathroom facilities comrades on the Greenway’s First Day Hike/Ride from available; however, the Palmer Opera House, located at 12 the Avon area heading south to Cuylerville. W. Main St., Cuba, is less than ½ mile away from the meet Meet at Erie-Attica Trail Parking Lot – State Route 5 to up location and will be open at 11:00 am and after the hike Farmers Rd. in Avon (42.922842, -77.756422) for a 20-30 to offer hot beverages, snacks, and handicapped accessible mile snowmobile ride or a 2 mile hike/cross country ski/ restrooms. Hike leader: Mike Landowski snowshoe one hour event on an easy trail starting on the Hinsdale 1st Day Walk/Hike, 8:45 am Erie-Attica Trail and continuing on the Genesee Valley Greenway. Snowmobiles will travel south to around Visit Hinsdale for a walk along Genesee Valley Greenway’s Cuylerville. There will be a porta-john available in the most recent open section heading east along Oil Creek. The parking area. walk begins at 9 am. Meet at the Hinsdale United Methodist Church on Main St. (42.167278, -78.387766) for Registered snowmobiles are the only motorized form of a 2-mile round trip on an easy trail. The Hinsdale Historical transportation permitted on the Greenway. Please, no Society will lead this hike. Hot chocolate will be served ATV’s, UTV’s etc. This ride is supported by the Caledonia afterwards. Bathrooms will be available at meeting location. Pre-registration is required. Please include number in party and hike location as there is more than one 1st Day Hike on the Greenway. Send email to: [email protected] with “First Day Hike Regi” in the Joan Schumaker Joan subject line OR leave a message at: (585)493-3614 Questions: (585)493-3614 or
First Day Hike, 2016 Page 2
President’s Message
Good news continues for the Greenway as evidenced by the We do need to offer a continuing variety of trail activities articles in this issue of the Greenway News. Read about our for outdoor enthusiasts this winter and throughout the year. Greenway Trail Town initiative: the enthusiastic citizens in If you belong to a user group who makes use of regional Cuba who have already formed a Cuba Trail Town Task trails for skiing, cycling, hiking, horseback riding, etc., Force committee, the effort to obtain a feasibility study to suggest that your leaders consider using the Greenway. identify the best route to close the gap in the GVGSP in the Please have them contact me since the Friends would be Village and Town of Cuba, the progress being made through pleased to promote trail activities that will introduce more our participation in the USDA (REDI) Initiative, and the people to the Greenway. Also, please contact me if you are Livingston County Planning Department trail connectivity interested in leading an event. plan and research taking place concerning five potential I again want to remind everyone that it is time to renew or locations to connect to the Genesee Valley Greenway. become a new member of the Friends. You may have been You can also read about Greenway improvements to result confused by the membership list in the last newsletter. It from the $6.5M funding announced last August. Design and was mistakenly labeled 2019-20 Members, but only those in construction funding for the Greenway north of Scottsville bold were already members for the new year. I apologize for is through DOT and scheduling requires that Requests for any confusion. We did not hear from some of our long-time Proposals (RFPs) go out in April 2020 with construction members, so please check the member list in this issue starting in July if all goes smoothly. Funding for the (page 7) and, if necessary, renew. If you just want to donate, Greenway between Canawaugus Park and Avon allows that that is fine, too. Your financial support of the Friends and the RFPs go out earlier than the April date. The entire the Greenway is very much appreciated and we THANK project will require 1 to 1 ½ years, but only sections being YOU. worked on will be closed. All 17 miles will not be closed at If you have questions or the same time. suggestions, please contact any ALTA Planning is currently working on the Strategic Action board member or contact me Plan to identify additional work needed on the Greenway. at [email protected] or The Strategic Action Plan is described at the top of page 4. call 585-490-3302. Enjoy the Public outreach is scheduled for January and April with a Greenway! Project map by May. A Draft Project list and a Cost/ . Evaluation Matrix is scheduled for the end of June with a
Permit & Implementation Process Review by the end of Hughes Janet August. The GVGSP Enthusiasts Meet Up Group now has 477 members and I hope that many of them will be actively participating in Greenway events this coming year. The first opportunity for them, and others who want to start the new year right, will be the Greenway 1st Day Events taking place in Avon, Cuba, and Hinsdale. (Please see details in this Email: [email protected] newsletter.) Telephone: 585-490-3302 Page 3
2020 Greenway Events The Genesee Valley Greenway State Park GVGSP is again offering their Historic Interpretive Hike Series. The guide will incorporate the history of the town in which the hike is located, point out historic canal and railroad features, and note interesting natural features along the way. Hikes will be held on the second Saturday of each month (April through October), begin at 10 a.m., last approximately 2-3 hrs, and take place on easy flat trail with a mixed surface of grass, cinders or stone dust. Sections near Rochester are paved. Individual hikes are listed below and are part of the 14 hikes in the Wegmans Passport to Wellness Program. Completion of hikes in this series makes the trail user eligible for Wegmans grocery coupons or a NYS Parks Empire Passport. See details at http://fogvg.org/wegmans-passport-program/ Watch for additions to this schedule on www.fogvg.org , https://www.meetup.com/Genesee-Valley- Greenwy-State-Park-Enthusiasts and https://www.facebook.com/pg/FOGVG/posts/? ref=page_internal
Wednesday, January 1: 1st Day Greenway Events are scheduled for Avon, Cuba and Hinsdale. See article on page 1 for details.
Monday, February 24, 11 am: Greenway Partner Meeting at Humphrey Nature Center, 6773 Trailside Road, Castile, NY. Visitors welcome. Saturday, April 11, 10 am: Historic Interpretive Hike Series - Hike #6: York Landing to Fowlerville Road, York, Livingston County. Take River Rd north from Rt 63 or south from Rt 20. Turn east onto York Landing Rd. Park and meet at the trailhead parking lot located at the end of the road (42.864631, -77.851023). Hiking north, roundtrip of entire section is 5.2 miles, roundtrip to Wegmans trail marker is 3.1 miles. See description at beginning of this Events List. Includes former canal turning basins and views of Genesee River. Questions: [email protected] or (585) 493-3614 Monday, April 22, 11 am: Greenway Partner Meeting at Humphrey Nature Center, 6773 Trailside Road, Castile, NY. Visitors welcome.
Saturday, May 2, I Love My Park Day – Save the date and watch for details on how you can help the Greenway. Saturday, May 9, 10:00 am: Historic Interpretive Hike Series - Hike #7: Town of Leicester, Livingston Co. (Cuylerville to Piffard) Take Route 20A east of the Village of Leicester or west from Geneseo. Park and meet at the trailhead parking lot located on the north side of 20A in the Hamlet of Cuylerville. (42.777354, -77.870262). Enjoy scenic vistas of the Genesee River, see several ponds and pastoral landscapes along the way. Starting at Mile 30 to Mile 27 (traveling NORTH); 7.5 miles (round trip) 3.5 miles to Wegmans marker and back. See description at beginning of this Events List. Sponsored by GVG State Park. Questions: [email protected] or (585) 493-3614
Statewide News for Friends Groups Like Ours Fran Gotcsik and Joan Schumaker attended the "Friends of copies but the publication is available online at. https:// the Park - Statewide Friends Conference 2019" in Saratoga www.ptny.org/our-work/support/nys-park-friends/ on Nov. 15 - 16. It was an excellent conference, where we resource-kit I have not had time to study this pamphlet, but attended special sessions, In Depth Fundraising and another it covers most of what Friends Groups need to know. on Building Your Facebook Footprint. There was also a very Topics include Boards, Membership, Technology, good panel of four Friends Groups, with their Park Fundraising and Grants, Marketing and Social Media, and Managers, titled Better Together. The Friends of Letchworth Events and I Love My Park Day. Please take a look.. were represented by President Carol Rathbun and Park Manager Doug Kelly who had a very good presentation. Joan Schumaker I especially want to let you know about Best Practices, a new publication for Friends Groups. We received paper Page 4
$6.5 Million Improvements for the Greenway Joan Schumaker
The Fall 2019 issue of the Greenway News included $6.5M There are also funds for a "Strategic Action Plan" included Greenway Funding Announced. The improvements include with this first round of funding. It will evaluate, set priorities, resurfacing 17 miles of the Greenway with a crushed build public consensus and establish a road map for the next limestone surface and addressing culvert/drainage issues and steps necessary to establish a first-class trail experience along weight loads on right-of-ways where resurfacing occurs. The the entire 90-mile length of the GVG. It will include looking trail sections to be resurfaced are noted here with additional at how to fill remaining gaps in trail connectivity, long-term improvements: asset management needs, permitting and processing needs, and roles and responsibilities and relationships with key Ballantyne Road, Rochester to Rt. 5 in Avon: partners. It will also include evaluation of how to fully Resurfacing trail, wayfinding signs, trail user counting integrate the GVG with other trails, including trail networks equipment within major resources adjacent to the trail such as Leicester/Mt.Morris Bridge over Genesee River: Move Letchworth and Allegany State Parks. Handicapped Accessible zero grade entry closer to the The Wilson Foundation has set aside an additional $2.5M to bridge, upgrade kiosk/gazebo, composting toilet, view address needed Greenway improvements identified in the spot on south side of bridge “Strategic Action Plan.” This funding is dependent upon New York State providing matching funds of $2.5M. York Landing: Parking lot upgrade, composting toilet, lean-to with fire ring, covered horse stall . Rt. 63, Piffard to Fowlerville Rd. between the Abbey and north York culvert fix plus resurfacing trail
York Landing Additon
Have you been on the Greenway at York Landing recently? If yes, you found that a Porta-John has been added for the convenience of Greenway users. In June 2018, the Friends joined with the Caledonia Trailblazers Snowmobile Club to provide the Porta-John, dividing the cost between the two organizations. We thank the Caledonia Trailblazers for their support in this venture which will continue into next summer. However, this is temporary! Projects to be completed with the new Greenway funding announced in August include a composting toilet for York Landing. (See article above)
Joan Schumaker Joan Schumaker Joan
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Building on Outdoor Recreation Economy in the Genesee Valley The USDA (REDI) Initiative – October 4, 2019 Workshop Joan Schmaker
This Workshop, organized by Letchworth Gateway Villages, attracted about 70 people. The Greenway was represented at the workshop by GVGSP Manager Kristine Uribe and FOGVG Board members Coleridge Gill, Fran Gotcsik, Carl Schoenthal, Irene Szabo, and Joan Schumaker. “What is an Outdoor Recreation Economy and why does it matter for rural economic growth?” was a major topic of the Workshop. Fran (representing PTNY) was a panelist presenting results of a 2014 Erie Canalway Trail (ECT) Study that found “significant impacts on local economy and resident quality of life in 200+ communities along its length.” Fran reviewed the numbers (visitors, $ spent, jobs created), importance of overnight visitors and theme/itineraries, the need for “cyclist welcome” programs, and a major growth opportunity by marketing the ECT as a premier bicycling destination to a national and international audience. Coleridge Gill and Fran Gotcsik speaking at the first workshop, with Nicole Manapol, manager of the project. Photo by Joan Schumaker. Cole also served on the panel, presenting the views of an Adventure Cyclist. He noted that there is already significant demand by adventure cyclists with people will have conference calls/meetings to prepare for the next coming from all over the world to cycle here. Cyclists like REDI Workshop in Cuba in late January or early February homestays, off-the-beaten track experiences, connecting 2020. with local culture, and often return to favorite villages The Working Groups are: bringing family and friends. There is a huge opportunity to Marketing/Collaboration – Map Guide grow this tourist segment, but we need to make businesses Municipal Planning (becoming a hospitality hub/trail and municipalities aware of this potential. Also, business town) practices need to be adapted and amenities/services created Business Coaching / Support to meet the needs of cyclists. Transportation The Workshop continued with a review of technical Interpretation assistance utilizing the WealthWorks model Signage and Wayfinding (www.wealthworks.org) and the November 2018 work on Planning and Resources the Value Chain, a network of people, businesses, Trails organizations and agencies that form partnerships. Gaps and the need to focus efforts on transactional (core partnerships) and support functions of the value chain were identified. Workshop attendees broke up into working groups to strategize and discuss action plans and then reconvened to discuss next steps. FOGVG hopes to make use of technical assistance through REDI for our Trail Town Initiative. Since the Oct. 4 Workshop, attendees have been invited to join one of several Working Groups that align with the strategic priorities outlined in the workshop. These Working Groups Insert: FOGVG Winter 2019 Issue of Greenway News
Greenway Trail Town Project & Cuba by Joan Schumaker
The Friends, under the capable leadership of FOGVG Board Director Carl Schoenthal, initiated a Trail Town Project for the Greenway earlier in 2019. This effort is patterned after the most successful Trail Town Program established by The Progress Fund in 2007. The Progress Fund Trail Town Program revitalizes rural communities by growing outdoor tourism and small businesses. This program has powered Trail Towns across PA, WV and MD, and helped trails nationwide follow their lead. The concept is to boost local economies along the trail by transforming communities into bike-friendly destinations where people want to stay, explore and spend. These revitalized Trail Towns will attract increased Greenway Trail users and activity to the Genesee Valley Greenway State Park. The Progress Fund has proven this concept works by multiplying the economic impact along the Great Allegheny Passage over 10+ years. The Progress Fund encourages that we think regionally and noted that a world-class trail needs amenities along its entire stretch, and towns working together can create a much broader impact. The five keys to a successful Trail Town are: Partnerships, Assessment and research, Connecting town to trail, Business and real estate development, and Marketing. They recommend that these key issues be worked on simultaneously and share insights and lessons in their free Trail Town guide. A FOGVG Trail Town Committee, created in February, has held many meetings and accomplished the following: established a vision for the project, classified locations along the trail as potential "Gateways, Trailheads and Access Points" using the Empire State Trail as a model, completed assessments of Cuba, Mt Morris, Avon, Geneseo and Scottsville to help establish a baseline from which improvements and next steps could be determined, worked on criteria for a community to become a Certified Trail Town, reviewed structure for local Trail Town Committees and a Trail Town Advisory Council to oversee the project, and looked into other programs (such as the GAP Trail, North Country Trail and Kentucky Trail Town Programs) to collate the best of each program and plan for community outreach. The first outreach was to the Cuba community and consisted of several preliminary meetings followed by a Trail Town Power Point presentation by Carl Schoenthal to numerous Cuba stakeholders on October 22. A Cuba Greenway Trail Town Gateway Survey was sent to those attending by Carl and Bob Amundson, FOGVG member and Cuba business owner. Twenty- three people responded, providing valuable input to the FOGVG Committee and confirming enthusiastic support for Cuba to serve as the “Southern Gateway” to the Genesee Valley Greenway State Park. A major problem facing Cuba is one of the five key requirements above for a successful Trail Town, the need to connect the Greenway trail in the Village and Town of Cuba. The historic
12/22/19 Insert: FOGVG Winter 2019 Issue of Greenway News transportation corridor that is now the Greenway was divided with the construction of I-86 that is now a barrier between the Greenway north of the Cuba-Rushford School in the Town and the section of Greenway that exists in the Village. Closing this gap in the Greenway trail would create a safe route to school for students from the village and also allow Cuba to move forward with plans to become a Trail Town. In mid-November it was decided that a feasibility study was needed to determine the best way to close the gap in the GVGSP and the Friends decided to apply for a NYS Parks and PTNY Partnership Stewardship and Public Access Grant for the study. Carl Schoenthal, Fran Gotcsik, Joan Schumaker, and Cuba Trail Town Task Force Chair Bob Admundson worked together and submitted a grant application on December 3. Four well qualified consultants provided cost estimates for the project and the project budget is for $85,500 with $70,000 being funded by the grant. The Project Title is: Genesee Valley Greenway State Park (GVGSP): Cuba Gap Closure – Feasibility Study Project Summary: The Feasibility Study will explore possible trail routes that will close a critical gap in the 90-mile Genesee Valley Greenway State Park (GVGSP) by connecting the existing 1.3 miles of GVGSP trail in the western edge of the Allegany County Village of Cuba to the planned GVGSP trail north of the Village (within the Town of Cuba) and the existing GVGSP trail in Allegany, Wyoming, Livingston, and Monroe Counties. The study shall include an analysis of whether there is a possibility of State ownership of any trail route; identification of a Cuba entrance “Gateway” (on land that could be acquired by the State); and prioritized recommendations with an implementation schedule, including time frames, to complete the identified Cuba trail route options for connecting the Greenway trail.
Image by Carl Schoenthal
12/22/19 Page 6
Geneseo Studies Potential Greenway Connection Sites Irene Szabo
Livingston County Planning has allowed us to reveal that forward progress had been miniscule as we paddled by a they are studying potential connection sites to link valley factory for the second time that day, hours apart, recreational places on the east side of the Genesee River, because the plant is located on a major river loop. including several fairly close to Geneseo, in order to connect Nonetheless, the Friends of the Genesee Valley Greenway some of their attractions with the route of the Greenway. Of course, every single possible route bumps into that danged applaud the county’s efforts to create connections and we meandering river! And if you study the river’s map through look forward to their hoped-for successes. Since several that part of the valley, you will appreciate how much the miles will be involved in most potential connections, river curves back and forth, including how much its route bicyclists will be most favored with potential side trails. It’s has changed over time, since there are oxbows and cut-offs also pretty exciting that other recreational projects WANT to created that show even on topographical maps, which depict connect with the Greenway. It’s been a long time coming the river’s route over a mere 120 years! since 1992, but we may finally have arrived! Parenthetically, I remember canoeing for hours one July day thirty-some years ago, and being shocked when I realized our
July 13, 2019 Hike Summary York Landing to Abbey Greenway Restoration Area Mark Getzen
On Saturday July 13th, a group of four hikers, under the expert condition that circumvented the washed-out area. We learned leadership of Parks’ Ken Wallace met at the Genesee Valley that the Greenway State Park worked with the leadership of the Greenway parking area at York Landing. York Landing is Abbey of the Genesee to arrange an easement for our trail to located just north of the Abbey of the Genesee Retreat House, walk Abbey property parallel to the original canal route. Last on the east side of River Road near York. The hiking gods were summer the new route was built and many young trees planted truly on our side, for they arranged perfect July weather for our along the way. hike, warm and sunny, but not too hot or humid. In fact, the gods of the trail performed a minor miracle, because the hike Nature was decked out in all of its July finery. We viewed large had originally been scheduled to take place from route 20A to yellow mullein, birds-foot trefoil, catnip, fleabane, Jerusalem- Chandler Road; however, due to the Air Show in Geneseo the artichoke, purple vetch, dame’s rocket, tulip-poplars, and hike’s site was changed at the very last minute. Several of the cottonwoods, to name just a few of the Greenway’s flora that hikers did not hear of the change in venue until the wee hours we encountered. As a special treat, we were able to view World of Saturday morning, so it was fortuitous that they found the War II-era P-51 Mustangs overflying our hiking route, as they practiced for the day’s airshow in Geneseo. Ken was a perfect new starting point. guide, sharing his knowledge, his insect repellent, and his At York Landing, Ken pointed out that the now bucolic site experience with Native American arrowheads with the hikers. had once been an important and busy commercial port along the Genesee Valley Canal. We viewed the remains of a canal turning basin and saw a photograph of a canal warehouse once located nearby, the picture posted on a trailhead kiosk. There Old galvanized- was much of interest to see as we marched along. Early on, a clad milepost small, lithe, fast-moving garter snake crossed our path. We observed vast poison-ivy vines, with hundreds of ripening berries, just waiting for birds to pluck and drop their seeds along the trail, thus spreading the poison-ivy even further afield. Marilee Patterer Marilee As we approached our turn-around point near route 63 in Piffard, we were able to observe how a large portion of the Greenway had been washed out and closed for several years.
However, we had the pleasure of hiking on a new trail in prime Page 7
Membership News
DID YOU FORGET TO RENEW? The FOGVG membership year is from September 1 through August 31 and we are missing some of our regular members. Check the updated 2019-20 Membership List below to see if you are listed. If you are not presently a member, please renew or become a new member. Please let us know if you think our records are wrong. Note: You may have been confused by the membership list in the last newsletter. It was mistakenly labeled 2019-20 Members, but only those in bold were already members for 2019-20. Sorry about that! To join or renew, use the membership envelope in this newsletter or go to our website at www.fogvg.org where you can either download a form or complete your membership and payment online. Join the Friends to ensure that you continue to receive the newsletter electronically or by the USPS. As a member you may elect to have paper newsletters mailed to you. As usual, a BIG THANK YOU to MEMBERS & FRIENDS for your generous support.
2019-20 Members Ron & Mary Abraham Peter & Sally Humphrey Lawrence/Mary Tyndall Family Stuart & Yu Chin Allen *James C. Hutton George D. Van Arsdale Joan Armbruster *Allen Kerkeslager # Louise & Will Wadsworth Andrea Barber David L. Kipp Jeanne & Rob Walk Richard M. Bigg *Lakeland Rovers Hiking Club Tania Werbizky & Brad George & Nancy Brinkwart Patricia Martin Edmondson #*William Burt James & Jeanette Maxim *Norman Wetterau Michael S. Buskus Michele Mc Call & Amy Stanley Robert Wheeler Tom and Barb Byrnes James Mc Master Donald & Roberta Whitney Caledonia Trailblazers Than Mehlenbacher Dave Wood Snowmobile Club *Sanford & Jill Miller Charles Woolever Ronald De Groff April Miller Peter Wybron Jim DeVinney #Michele Miller John Yunker *Tony D'Imperio & Louise Davies Nagel Michaud Joe & Marilee Patterer Business Memberships Cody & Katie Donahue Rich & Val Perkins *Drawing Borer'd Inc. *Roger L. Easton Jr. Ric & Sandy Perry #*Maple Lane RV Park
Dwight Folts *John Ridge Non Member Donations Mark Getzin Jennifer Ries-Taggart Melissa A Chinnock Coleridge Gill Anne Roth-Blizzard Robert & Sarah Booher Jeff Goodyear Gary & Cheryl Rouleau *Ken and Colleen Kallio *George & Fran Gotcsik *Fred & Gerry Sauter Kristin Paganin Peter Gradoni *Carl Schoenthal Megan Walter Carole & Timothy Grooms *Joan Schumaker Mary R. Gulesano Larry & Joy Seaman Memorial Gifts *Jeffrey Hennick Stephanie Spittal *Lakeland Rovers Hiking Club Myra Herlihy Greta Stephany in Memory of Donna McCagg
David & Grace Strong Pam Hill * Membership/Donation of $100 or * Hill and Gully Riders David & Lisa Swaciak more – Thank you! Snowmobile Club *Irene Szabo Edward “Ned” Holmes Jo Taylor # New Member in 2019-20 Alan Hopenwasser Alice Thompson Welcome!
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P.O. Box 42 Mt. Morris, NY 14510 585-658-2569 [email protected]
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Board of Directors
Joan Schumaker President
Davies Nagel Vice-President Joe Patterer Vice-President
Pam Hill Secretary Fran Gotcsik Treasurer
Crystal Abers Coleridge Gill Jeff Goodyear Pam Hill Marilee Patterer Carl Schoenthal Paul Schutt Steph Spittal Charles Struble Irene Szabo
Irene Szabo Newsletter Editor
Jo Taylor Layout
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